Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Times of London got their hands on a study that shows the use of fossil fuels, you know, coal, natural gas, and oil, are better for the environment than so-called green fuels.

The pillars of the environmental church are being knocked down...first global warming, now biofuels.

The findings show that the Department for Transport's target for raising the level of biofuel in all fuel sold in Britain will result in millions of acres of forest being logged or burnt down and converted to plantations. The study, likely to force a review of the target, concludes that some of the most commonly-used biofuel crops fail to meet the minimum sustainability standard set by the European Commission.

Under the standard, each litre of biofuel should reduce emissions by at least 35 per cent compared with burning a litre of fossil fuel. Yet the study shows that palm oil increases emissions by 31 per cent because of the carbon released when forest and grassland is turned into plantations. Rape seed and soy also fail to meet the standard.

If two people pushing a decorated outhouses in the snow sounds like a Japanese reality TV show to you, your perception isn't too far off. Yesterday two participants in such a show took part in the 17th annual Trenary Outhouse Classic on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Mining Journaltells us.

Also entered were two Elvis impersonators, a pair of sasquatches, and a team dubbed Chupa Cabra Crap House.

As for the race, the bottom line is that the money raised from the event goes to pay for park equipment for the unincorporated town of Trenary.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Here's an imperfect storm for you, courtesy of Springfield's State Journal-Register: The federal government has budgeted almost $20 million to assist Illinois homeless. But the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has distributed just $1.8 million of those funds to non-profits and local governments.

Sangamon County, where Springfield is, has allocated $600,000 of that cash, and just a pittance has been spent so far--$35,000.

So who is to blame? Is it Illinois' bureaucrats, Congress for writing the stimulus bill, or is it President Obama for signing it into law?

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